Posted on 02/13/2006 5:16:58 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein on
February 13, 2006 - 08:06
Good Morning America took took a double-barrelled blast at the Vice President Cheney this morning over his accidental shooting of a quail-hunting companion, suggesting the White House might have tried to cover up the incident, and also calling into question his version of events.
GMA did at first describe the accident as having occurred because the victim, attorney Harry Whittington, failed to observe the quail-hunting rule by which hunters remain in a single line as they advance, indicating that the accident occurred after Whittington left the line to retrieve a bird from the tall grass.
But GMA host Charlie Gibson later claimed that there was "growing political fallout" from the incident, wondering:
"Why didn't the White House tell everyone when this accident happened? Why did they wait so long and did that make a bad situation even worse?"
Normally, the MSM loves to hate talk radio and the pajamahadeen of the blogosphere, but when it suits their purposes . . . ABC White House reporter Jessica Yellin stated that it took the VP's office nearly 24 hours to go public with the incident, adding:
"That delay has prompted speculation online and on talk radio that perhaps Mr. Cheney was hoping to cover up the incident.
So GMA wouldn't offer up the cover-up conspiracy theory on its own, but used the convenient hook of reporting that others - those disreputable new-media types - had.
Gibson then interviewed Kathryn Garcia, the youthful reporter at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times who broke the story. Garcia, manning the paper's news desk on a sleepy Sunday morning, had this world-class story fall into her lap when ranch-owner Katharine Armstrong called in and couldn't find the reporter she was looking for.
Gibson tried to lure Garcia into second-guessing Armstrong and Cheney's account of the accident:
"I know that she told you that Mr. Whittington did not follow protocol and came up from behind the VP and didn't announce that he was there having gone off to fetch a quail. But we've talked to a bunch of hunters who say they've never heard of that, that there's no protocol like that. That the real problem is that the shooter has to be aware of where everyone in his party may be. Do you know anything about hunting protocol?"
The engaging Ms. Garcia wouldn't buy into Gibson's theory. Disclaiming much knowledge of hunting, she did allow that while "you're supposed to look before shooting, I think it would have been smart for Mr. Whittington to announce his presence."
Sorry, Charlie!
This kind of childish, mean-spirited coverage will backfire on GMA and ABC. This is the kind of stuff you expect from high school kids but not from "professional journalists." ABC has to admit too, that Cheney went public with a much less serious incident a lot sooner than Teddy.
Doesn't that say it all for Charlie Gibson and ABC? They are morons if they think an accidental shooting by the Vice President of the United States of America during a hunting excursion could ever be "covered up."
Andrea Mitchell did everying she could not to burst into laughter rporting this story. Anyone else see this performance. She could not contain the smirk.
The idiot on WRKO Boston today (I don't usually hear him because Tues-Sat I listen to my Rush Limbaugh tape from the day before) was ranting on, comparing this to Chappaquiddick! He was suggesting the delay was -- like Kennedy's -- in order to give Cheney time to sober up(!) before reporting it. Personally, I find it unlikely that someone with a history of heart problems, accompanied always by his medical team, would drink on a hunting trip, but maybe that's just me. The 'RKO guy couldn't get any callers interested in running with it, and the guest firearms safety instructor sounded bored and would only go so far as to opine "shared blame."
Howie Carr had a good column on it today -- laughing about how Cheney's image will soar in the red states. ("Condi Rice? Yeah, but who has she ever shot?") Struck me as the only way to look at this non-story. Too bad the column's subscriber-only at the Herald website, but he may pick up on the subject on the radio today.
Ah, we knew there had to be a point there somewhere...
Buckshot?! The VP must hunt mighty big quail! LOL!
This could easily be turned around. The VP needs to announce that he and his hunting companions are taking refresher NRA safety courses. Then let the hunting shows film highlights of the courses and the next hunt. This little piece of filmmaking could show Cheney and his chosen companions in a light most favorable to the people that hunt in America. He could talk about his hunting passions and why gun rights are important to everyone. All of the people in flyover America would watch it, agree and relate to the VP and whoever is there with him! It could be a beautiful thing.
BUCK shots?
At a dozen or so buckshot per shell, he'd have to have been shot several dozen times, by someone who stopped to reload perhaps a dozen times...
After which, he would have been unrecognizable, and certainly unrestorable.
I don't need to have a reason for wanting to know why it took so long to get the story out. But, I'll say this, "bad news doesn't get better with age." What if the story had not been discovered by the local newspaper for a week? Six months?
The health or lack thereof of the President of the United States is rightfully the concern of the citizenry.
Your point and who's "we?"
Ref: Cheney's image soars in Red States
Howie's awesome. The guy on 'RKO in the morning, Scotto is a moron.
Not being a hunter myself, that's what I thought they said. I think they were hunting pheasants. I'm not even real sure about that. I know the hunting party had two traumatic days in a row. The day before the hunting accident, another hunter's foot fell in a hole at the top of a hill and he rolled down the hill and got a real nasty break in a wrist. He was actually more severely injured than the guy that got shot.
LOL, yes some here are very predictable in their "sycophant to the MSM", status!
According to NOLA Mayor Nagin and former FEMA head Michael Brown, the Bush administration knew about the incident before it even happened, but failed to take the appropriate steps to warn Whittington in advance.
If it was I that took the buckshot and I was a friend of the Veep, I would have instantly took the responsibility and spared my friend the vicious speculation that I knew would be coming from the media.
Very strange this guy is silent. I hope he IS a friend.
Leni
Look for the tabloid press to be camping out in Corpus hoping for a pic of Whittington. Every ER nurse and tech is probably getting calls at home digging for some off the cuff quote. An undercover photo of any injury will go for lots of $$$.
"Have you been hurt in a shooting accident? Accident or not, we will FIGHT to see that you receive just compensation and make the responsible party pay, Pay, PAY. Call our offices today. We will come to you. No matter WHAT the circumstances, call, Call, CALL today..."
I do find this to be very suspicious. I bet when the real story comes out you will find Carl Rove involved and most likely Halliburton, Dick Cheney's former company, had the no-bid contract. :0)
He's preparing his lawsuit...
Gibson wishes the situation were worse.
But seriously, Rochester, Whittington was sitting up in his hospital bed joking, "this was just Dick's fisrt excursion into tort reform. It's still safer going hunting with Dick than taking a drive with Ted.
;-)
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